


Epilogue

by orphan_account



Series: Damnatio Memoriae [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Agents of SHIELD Pre-Season 5 Space Speculation, F/M, M/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 15:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15342663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: aaaand here it is. the epilogue, as promised. also written from my phone, so if there are a few grammar mistakes, forgive meh :D





	Epilogue

 

It had been two days since the quinjet landed on Earth. Steve Rogers still felt the pain caused by the overwhelming grief he’d feel every time when he’d think of all the ways the battle could’ve gone differently – with Tony coming back alive – and frankly, there wasn’t a minute in the day when he hadn’t thought of it.   
Fox didn’t speak with anyone. He locked himself up in his quarters in the SHIELD base, silently isolating himself from the world. Somewhere after midnight after they came back, Steve heard him cry. When he tried to walk in, Fox threatened to electrocute him.  
After the threat, he returned to crying, even louder this time. Steve’s heart was shredding at the thought of the person he saw as his son to be in such pain and him not being able to do anything about it. The night before the funeral, Steve lay in bed with tears in his eyes. The pain was suffocating him and the burden crushing his chest. All he could think of was the fear in Tony’s terrified, anxious eyes when he crushed his suit with the shield in Siberia and the silence in the moments after. It was so thin and shallow that he could clearly hear Tony’s heartbeat; he was terrified and it was because of him. And now he’s gone; another person in the life of Steve Rogers, who meant much to him but, as always, was ripped away from him mercilessly. Tears slid from his eyes and into his soft, blonde hair as he shut his eyes and tried to fall asleep.  
On the morning of the funeral, he ran into Daisy. She was leaving her office and he was going to see her. They wouldn’t talk; they couldn’t. There was too much space between them. He needed her, not necessarily as a lover; but as a friend on whose shoulder he could peacefully fall apart. She needed the same, but she couldn’t look him in the eyes; she told him he could blame her if anyone died on the mission. The thing is – he didn’t have to; she was doing an incredible job at it herself. She was the one who convinced him to go. She was the one who took Fox’s father away from him _again_. That’s why she, after running into Steve, paused for a minute, hesitating to look at him. After a moment of silence, Daisy continued walking without saying a word. She would’ve talked; she wanted to, but the words were piling up in her mind and in her throat, making her feel as if she was choking and there was nothing she could do about it. It was one of the personality traits she and Steve shared: survivor’s guilt. When she knocked on the metal door, it opened, letting her into Fox’s room. He wasn’t there. The sheets, the cover and the pillows were crumbled up in one corner of the bed, along with two empty boxes of tissues. When she touched the pillow, Daisy noticed how wet it was.  
_Did he cry himself to sleep? Did he even sleep?  
_ She didn’t know the answer to that question; no one did.   
“Sorry for the mess.” he said, leaning at the doorframe. She turned around, her reddish, swollen eyes catching the glimpse of Fox wearing a suit that looked familiar to her. His brown eyes were red as well and the dark circles around his eyes even more noticeable; it looked like he lost some weight over the past two days, too. “I realized it’s his funeral today and I don’t have anything black to wear other than my suit but that’s also still being repaired, so I…” she ran across the room, hugging him with her long, elegant arms. “I went over to his place and took this suit. He wore it at the press conference when he announced that he’s Iron Man. I feel closer to him, wearing it.” he smiled, and she nodded. “It looks good.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Before we leave, Daisy, I need to tell you and Cap something.”  
She looked at him, her eyes hazy. “What?”  
Just as he was about to begin, they ran into Steve. He, too, was wearing a suit – the one he wore at Peggy’s funeral. When his and Daisy’s eyes crossed paths, his heart began racing. When he looked Fox in the eyes, he teared up; the youngster prevented him from crying by hugging him, saying: “I’m sorry I snapped at you yesterday. I know you were just trying to help. I’m sorry.” The familiar scent played with his nose, and for a second, he thought he wouldn’t be able to hold it back anymore when the feeling of hot charcoal burned his stomach. Steve’s blue eyes were clouded by tears as he strongly pressed Fox into his chest.   
“Now” Fox began, once he made it out from Steve’s hug, wiping away the few tears that escaped. “I need to tell you both something.”  
He looked at Daisy. She looked beautiful, with her brown hair wavy and elegantly falling over the shoulder of her black dress, which fell over her knees and complimented her strong and feminine figure. Then he looked at Steve. The soldier’s blonde hair was cut short again; its soft and blonde color complimenting the depth of his razor sharp, blue eyes. The black and white combination he was wearing perfectly followed the shape of his strong shoulders. “After Tony, you two are the closest family I’ll ever have.” he says.   
“That’s why I wanted to tell you this in person.”  
First he turns to Daisy, taking her hands in his. “It’s been my honor to serve under SHIELD’s greatest leader, director Johnson.” he chuckles, a faint smile appearing on her lips as well. “Daisy, you’re my sister. Not by blood, but by something much stronger: fate. It’s a blessing to know you.”  
“Why are you talking like this is a goodbye?” she asks. He looks her in the eyes, softly tearing up. “Because I am leaving, D.” he responds. “In your office, you’ll find my resignation letter, along with my badge and gauntlets. I’m leaving SHIELD.” Before the two can react, he turns to Steve, the tears slowly building up in the corners of his eyes. “Captain Steven Grant Rogers. It’s been a pleasure to have you in my life, not only as a father figure, but as someone who had a key role in helping me become who I am today.” Steve’s eyes haze, a smile pushing the edges of his lips into a smile. “Thank you for that. I’m leaving the Avengers today, Captain. Before he died, Tony told me that you’re a good man. I couldn’t agree more.”  
Both Daisy and Steve were confused, not sure how to react.   
“Please don’t do this, Fox.” Daisy took his hand. “I’ve done it myself. It doesn’t help, believe me.”  
He looks at her, his lips twitching. His eyes are teary and the words on his lips hard. “Wherever I look, wherever I go…All I see is him, Daisy. Everything about my life here reminds me of him.”  
Steve looks at him, his rosy lips curled into a sad expression. He doesn’t approve, but he understands why he’s doing this. “Promise me you’ll get back.” he says. “One day.”  
Fox shook his head, too heavy for his neck to hold all the heavy thoughts. “I can’t.”  
Daisy’s eyes were puffy, her skin pale, and Steve was the same. He hugged them both. _I can’t promise you something I don’t know_. “Now, when I’m gone, I need the two of you to settle your scores and get back together. I won’t be here and you two basket cases need someone to confide in; and for each other, there’s no better person for that other than the two of you. Captain Quake all the way.” he smiles, and so do they.   
“Don’t ever call us that again.” she warns him through a chuckle.   
Hand in hand, Daisy and Steve walk with Fox as they enter the cemetery’s gates. Damnatio Memoriae, as our Latins would say, might be something Taryan, the mad Kree general, wanted to achieve on Earth; but the tale of Tony Stark’s heroism and bravery will live on forever.

**Author's Note:**

> i won't be writing series for a while - i miss writing independent one-shots and more fun, lighthearted stuff, like steve teaching fox how to dance, or fox wanting to bake a cake for nat's b-day without her knowing, so he makes all the avengers help him distract her (but obviously fails, we're talking about nat dUH). i miss that, you guys. so, for a while - there won't be any new adventures and world-ending scenarios where someone dies. 'till then - see ya! <3   
> (can't wait to write and post a good old one-shot! :) )
> 
> \- A


End file.
